- Case is 3/4” maple ply with 3/4×3/4 solid oak edging on all panels and shelves- Biscuit joinery - Top section is a 19” rack mount for the audio equipment- Middle has a fixed shelf (for strength) and a slide out shelf for the keyboard- Bottom is drawers and an adjustable shelf- Removable locking doors made of 1/2” maple ply with oak edge banding. - Doors mount with pins in the bottom and a cam lock at the top. - Drawers are 1/2” baltic birch, with simple pinned rabbet corner joints and 1/4 ply bottoms- The lower 16” of the back is a fixed panel for strength from racking. With all the equipment weight mounted high in the rack, the cabinet has to be very strong, especially when being moved fully loaded.- For the first 18 years this had the original clear satin catalyzed lacquer finish. Two years ago I refinished the outside satin black to match our new sound booth, with formica laminate on the top to match the new countertops.

For the covers I used my favorite pin and lock design that allows for a fully open cabinet front with no hardware in the way:- Drilled pilot holes in the bottom edge of each cover- Put a drop of super glue in each hole- Screwed in #10 wood screws until the threads were hidden, leaving just the unthreaded shaft and head of the screw protruding 1/2” - Cut off the screw head and filed the remaining shaft to a bullet shape- To put the cover on, the pins seat in holes in the cabinet bottom, then a cam lock at the top of the door engages a slot in the top of the cabinet.

I built this about 20 years ago, decided to post it after someone asked about the design process for my more recently built Transformer Audio Cabinet. The Transformer is my third pro audio cabinet, and the designs build on the lessons learned building and then using each cabinet. This project was first, then the Gas Lift Audio/Video Cabinet, then the Transformer. I really enjoy the design process of these cabinets, figuring out how they need to work in operation, what they need to hold, how to make it all accessible, and how to best make that all work together.